Definition
A scam where fraudsters impersonate police or government officials — sometimes using AI-generated deepfake video or voice — to falsely convince a victim they're under 'digital arrest' and must pay money or hand over data immediately. India's Supreme Court has directed its government to make this a distinct criminal offense given how AI is amplifying its scale and believability.
Why it matters
This shows courts and regulators treating AI-generated impersonation as a distinct, urgent crime category — a preview of similar enforcement pressure other countries' consumer-protection and fraud regulators are likely to face.